| Author | Message | ||
     Greg_e |
This is the final part, started here: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/327 77/602247.html?1288537561 Went on to here: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/327 77/592520.html All I can say about the bug-eyed creation is... Worth every single penny! I did learn something today... The stock relays have a diode in them, if you connect the positive and negative for the coil backwards, you get a short. I really wish they had marked them on the outside of the relay. Also when you connect them backwards the diode shorts so now you have a dead relay. Sorry, I didn't grab a picture yet, have to do that tomorrow when I change the front motor mount. Need to see if I can adjust these lights up a couple degrees, but already way better than any stock motorcycle light I have ever seen. Thanks to Livers for the extra stock lights that helped me get this done. Sure is nice to be able to go out for a ride at night and actually see. | ||
| Xoptimizedrsx |
 This is the Halo lights I used, they work so well I installed these on both bikes.  I don't mind the BUG eyes at all. These were a direct fit. all I had to do was make a hanger to mount the brackets on and wire to the original harness. | ||
| Xoptimizedrsx |
    Getting pics to show how these light up at night is difficult. The stop sign is about 30 yards from the bike at rest in one and 50 in the other. These are on the xb9 bike and the other green one is the xb12. These are chepo pepboy lights... | ||
| Greg_e |
Those look like just a fixed utility light beam, are they designed to be a headlight? | ||
| Xoptimizedrsx |
I dont remember. I do know they cover more area and further than the stock. However, I seldom ride after dark but when I did the test they were better. These are a fog light. the pics really does not do any justice in the whole range except for distance. These use H1 55w bulbs. (Message edited by xoptimizedrsx on May 22, 2011) | ||
| Greg_e |
Here are the pictures, don't have any at night and may not ever get any 'cause photos really do require light. But it's nice to be able to have the same amount of light as a car, really makes riding at night much more relaxing (except for being covered in bugs). Here is a pictorial recap for you:                   If I was to do it again, I would grind the ribs on the plastic mount away to gain another 1/8 inch. If I have to take the mount apart for any kind of repair, or take the bike down for repair then I'll grind those ribs down, otherwise I'm going to just enjoy them. | ||
| Mtnmason |
damn. sure are a lot a bugs wherever you're riding! | ||
| Xb12randy |
I went with the ddm tuning 6000k HID kit. Was a little tricky tucking the ballasts away but they came out great and I didn't have to cut anything. Our factory projectors were MADE for an HID setup. The difference is just incredible night riding. Props to you thou on those sweet Hella lights. If I had deeper pockets and a better workshop I'd consider your mod myself | ||
| Greg_e |
Actually, no the factory lights were not made for HID, especially not the 03 9R lights where the reflector oxidized and fell off. Considering the dismal output of pretty much any motorcycle light, I bet you are only getting about 30 percent of the available output from the HID kits. In short I am extremely under impressed with the choice of fixture used in these cycles (really any cycle) when there are good DOT approved alternatives that would have actually cost less. The fixed high and low beam Hella lights are about $120 a pair (examples in one of the previous threads about my upgrade), way cheaper than the dealer was selling the horrible choice that came with the R series cycles. Hella also has ECE approved versions so it would have been an easy choice and I'm not really sure why no motorcycles come with Hella lights when so many cars come with them. If I was designing a cycle from scratch, they would be the first place I would look. DDM should consider finding some common fixtures that they could get approved, seems like they should be able to do it for a reasonable price when you consider how little their HID kits cost us. I know most of you don't care about approvals, but it would be key for them moving into supplying manufacturers for the car and cycle industry. | ||
| Noone1569 |
Man, this is some good work. Want to make a kit?? | ||
| Greg_e |
I sent an email to one of the sponsors to see if they would be interested, no response yet. I have a feeling the demand might be too limited but let's see what happens. If I personally make another one, there is only one person I can think of that will get it, he sent me (free of charge I might add) the donor lights that allowed me to measure everything and determine that they should fit. The only practical kit would be running a harness back to the battery, getting the fuse and relay box contacts is way too hard (actually I should say the relay box contacts). The big problem with me making this adapter is the time it takes to machine the metal, I'm all hand crank and it would take nearly $1000 to fit CNC to my mill. Having it cut at a shop might be economical but then I need to distribute the parts, etc, etc. I'm not really interested in that right now because by the time I finished selling to everyone interested, I'd have made maybe $100 for the trouble. But don't rule out someone picking this up that has a distribution pipeline and manufacturers lined up. Hella was very interested in pictures for their website, only down side to this is I need to wash my bike  | ||
| Greg_e |
Two freshly washed pictures, I'll try to get some video sometime in the future.   Sent these and several others to Hella for their http://www.myhellalights.com/ site. | ||
| Livers |
Looks really good, Greg. Nice mod. |
